Officers from three police forces joined together yesterday morning in an operation to tackle the supply of significant quantities of Class A drugs to Stevenage and Hitchin.

Led by Hertfordshire Constabulary and supported by Bedfordshire and Thames Valley Police, officers arrested two men on suspicion of conspiracy to supply class A drugs following warrants at six properties in Luton, Dunstable and Milton Keynes.

As part of the same operation, three men were arrested last week in Luton on suspicion of conspiracy to supply cocaine and a large amount of cash and suspected cocaine was seized.

The operation is also linked to the arrests of seven other people since May including three Stevenage men and a youth from Hitchin on suspicion of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply, and the seizure of over 2 kilos of cocaine worth �100,000.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Chinery from the serious and organised crime unit at Herts police said: “This has been a long running, large scale investigation into the supply of class A drugs in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire which has resulted in the arrests and the seizure of a large amount of drugs, which would otherwise be reaching our communities.

“We take a robust response to drugs and we actively pursue those who are suspected of being involved in this type of activity.”